A couple weeks ago I wrote a list of fantastic junk to use in mosaics. Before we get into attaching some of the more randomly shaped items of various materials (which can get a lil tricksy if you don’t want your parts falling off randomly and for no apparent reason), I thought I’d give you a step by step how-to on a small project to get you started.
I know you have some old pots around that are just too worn and ugly to use, but still too serviceable to break up for planter-bottom-drainage. Maybe you are wanting to change the color scheme of your patio or porch and are feeling guilty about your secret desire to just say “To hell with being green! I want new STUFF!” Maybe you’re broke, like me! Maybe it has simply never occurred to you that you can have “new” stuff by giving a makeover to old stuff! In any case, this is a great way to give a facelift to a worn out old terra cotta planter (and with just a couple small changes works on plastic planters, too)!Click on the thumbnails for a larger view, or watch the flickr slideshow at the bottom of the post.
Tags: ceramic tile, DIY, eco crafts, green living, how to, recycling, terra cotta pottery, upcycling
3) Soup, veggie and stuff cans. Use a can opener to remove both ends. Use as a collar to protect small plants from bugs n critters.
4) Gallon plastic nursery planters. I cut the bottoms out of these with a razor knife and use them as collars for larger plants like squash and broccoli. (The different sizes help to space plants, too.)
5) Plastic water bottles, laundry detergent and bleach and fabric softener bottles all make great plant warmers. Fill them with water and place them around your plants. They absorb heat from the sun in the daytime and radiate that heat to keep your plants warm on chilly spring nights.
(And don’t you just love them in the garden?)
7) Preying Mantises eat grasshoppers. (I love these lil guys, too. They’re so mystical looking, somehow.)
